


Pack War

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Banshee Natasha, Character Death, Druid Clint Barton, Dubious Consent, F/M, Human Tony, Hurt Bucky, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Hybrid Rumlow, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lack of monogamy, M/M, Mentioned suicide, Multi, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Vampire Steve Rogers, Werewolf Bruce, Witch Bucky Barnes, mentioned torture, steve makes bad life choices, they're centuries old, they're gonna be involved with other people
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-18 14:33:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4709507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers made a choice seventy years ago, a terrible choice that had really been no choice at all but had still cost him his best friend, the man who had given him immortality and loved him despite the monster he had become.</p><p>Steve Rogers was now being given a chance to chose once more, but how could this time ever fix the damage that had already been done.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, for those of you familiar with TVD and Teen wolf you'll get most of this right off the bat, for those of you not familiar, don't worry, a lot of the universe lore and the past history between characters (Bucky and Steve in particular) will be explained throughout the story but below is a short run down of what each main character is and TVD or TW characters they might be comparable to. Otherwise this is a straight mashup as those two worlds and then throw college age Avengers into that world.
> 
> Steve: Original Vampire like Ellijiah(TVD) or any of the other Mikialsons  
> Bucky: Original witch who can only siphon magic off other magical beings and use it as his own, a cross between Esther and Kai (TVD Season 6)  
> Natasha: Banshee like Lydia (TW)  
> Bruce: Beta Werewolf like Liam (TW)  
> Sam: Vampire (TVD)  
> Tony: Human  
> Clint: Druid, like Deaton (TW)  
> Rumlow: Hybrid like Klaus (TVD)

Steve didn’t want to ask for his help, if he had his way he would go on avoiding him, just as he had for the last six months, but really, at this point he had little choice, not with Hydra’s hybrid on the loose. Original and immortal he might be, but this was bigger than him, this was about protecting his pack, even he had to understand.

Of course there was still no guarantee he would even succeed in acquiring the necessary aid and in all likelihood he would not. When he entered the classroom and was greeted with nothing but hostility he was utterly unsurprised.

“Get out Rogers, I’m not interested,” called out James Buchanan Barnes from where he was seated at the front of the lecture hall, feet propped up on the desk in front of him and book on his lap. An empty lecture hall at Marvel U was a hard thing to find, Steve had little doubt that James had used his talents to ensure he was left to himself. 

Steve stepped through the door and into the classroom, Tony, Sam, and Natasha behind him. Normally Bruce would have been there as well, but a full moon was nearing and he didn’t do well with people at times like this. 

James glanced up, assessing each member of Steve’s pack, lingering on Tony for a moment. “I see you and you’re band of merry misfits are up one human.” His eyes shifted to the space to Natasha’s left, where Clint usually stood, “And down one witch, where’s Barton”

“Married,” answered Sam from behind Steve, the fact that Clint had grown up and started a little family of his own was a point of pride among the pack. 

“Huh, didn’t see that coming,” James remarked before returning his eyes to his book, he had actually likes Barton, the giant man child that he was, and that was saying something since he hated the rest of Steve's pack on principal alone. “Well anyway, glad to see you picked up a new walking blood bag and all but as I mentioned before, not interested.”

Tony snorted out a laugh, “Walking blood bag, that’s rich coming from you, suck the magic out of anyone lately or are you still simply just a powerless little human like me today?"

Bucky didn’t bother looking up, simply flipped the page and raised his hand, flicking his wrist and slamming Tony into the desk he had been standing next too. “As a matter of fact, I did,” Bucky did look up now, stormy grey eyes locking on Steve. “Take that as fair warning Rogers, I am willing to take a certain level of sass from you since you are one of the original vampires, but I won’t put up with it from your underlings.”

“Noted,” Steve responded, glancing over at Tony with a look of concern, only a sharp shake from the human’s head assuring him he was unharmed. With that he stepped forward, moving closer to James.

“That’s close enough,” the other man responded and it was only Steve’s fast reflexes that stopped him from slamming into the wall of magic that stood between them now. “I may put up with you, that doesn’t mean I trust you or any other leeches like you anywhere near me.” His gaze returned to his reading, but his shoulders were tense, Steve knew now he had James’ full attention. “Clearly you are not going to leave without saying your piece so get on with it so I may return to what I was doing.”

Steve noted the cool tone in James’ voice, he needed to change tactics, appeal to James softer side, the one that he knew existed seventy years ago but that he wasn’t so sure remained any longer. “James, Bucky, we need your help, I need your help. It’s the Hydra pack, or at least what’s left of it, they...”

“Pulled Rumlow from the rubble that you reduced there pack home to and turned him into some un-killable vampire and werewolf hybrid, yes I’m aware, and I fail to see how that is my problem,” James responded, cutting off what Steve had intended to say.

“Buck, they’re killing innocents.”

James’ eyes locked on Steve, sharp and filled with a rage that Steve hated to see directed at him. Is this what they had come to, what they had become.

“No, they are killing members of the Shield packs, packs like yours, those can hardly be counted as innocents.”

“Buck...” Steve tried again.

“Jesus fuck, stop with the nickname, it’s been seventy years Stevie.”

“Fine, James, but how long until he comes looking for you, how long until Rumlow hunts you down himself.”

James laughed, head thrown back, a sharp, sardonic and unsettling sound, “Rumlow won’t kill me Rogers, even if he wanted to he couldn’t. Added perk of that ridiculous immortality spell you and Erskine forced me to perform all those centuries ago. That spell you urged me to use even though you knew what it would cost me, what it would turn me into,” James was on his feet now, striding the few steps forward so he was chest to chest with Steve. Steve noted that Bucky was still a good head shorter than him. He was paler than the last time Steve had seen him, his hair was longer but he still smelled the same, still smelled like chocolate and blood. “Thank you for the warning, but if you are well and done please get the fuck out of my sight.”

Steve wanted to say more, wanted to plead with the man he had loved once, but after centuries with each other he knew James would not budge, would not be moved by his plea. “Just be careful, please.”

Bucky just turned on his heel, grabbed his bag and strode out of the room, a wave of his wrist serving as the only acknowledgement of Steve’s words while simultaneously dismissing Steve and his entire pack. He didn’t need to stay here for this, didn’t need to keep looking at Steve and be reminded of what he had lost, what had been taken by him seventy years back.

__

James had found another room to work in, an empty space to complete his school work. Immortal witch he might be, but he still had classwork to complete, technically his sixth college degree in his life, but no record would ever reflect that, would ever show that he was nearly a thousand years old. 

By the time he completed his work it was well past midnight. Campus was mostly deserted and it was a cold fall night and James had a long walk back to his apartment so he set off at a brisk pace, a pace that was interrupted just as he neared the edge of campus by a dark figure stepping out in front of him and drawing Bucky to a halt.

“Brave,” Bucky commented as he adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder. “Rogers and his pack are looking for you. I really can’t decide if you showing up here makes you look confident in your abilities or just like an idiot asking to be killed.”

The voice that respond was low and gravely, the figure stepping into the light and closer to Bucky, revealing dark hair and what had been a handsome face before the burn scars that marred it. “Good thing he can’t kill me.”

“But he can inflict a whole world of pain, sometimes that can be worse then death, I would know.” And oh did he ever understand that after seventy years of being shuffled from Hydra pack to Hydra pack for their amusement. 

“I’m a Hybrid now, I think I can hold my own.”

“You’re also little more than a child compared to him. A Vampire for a few decades, a Hybrid for a few months, that’s nothing compared to a Vampire with nearly a millennia of life behind him. If he manages to find you Brock, and he will if you continue to lurk around here, then you will end up wishing you could be killed,” Bucky stepped away again, trying to put more space between them, trying to get back and away from the hybrid.

“I’ll have you though,” Brock shifted closer once more, ducking his head so his eyes were level with James’. “And I’ll have Hydra, that will be enough.”

“What’s left of Hydra,” James corrected, pulling away from Rumlow, “And that doesn’t include me.”

“Winter,” Rumlow implored, reaching out to pull James closer, but the witch stepped back out of his reach once again.

“That isn’t my name,” James snapped, “And I am not Hydra, I never was no matter what you or any of the others tried to force me to become.”

Rumlow’s eyes went sad, but he wouldn’t be moved. “Winter, I need your help, please.” He reached out again, this time grabbing James’ arm. 

James looked down to where the Hybrid had a bruising grip on his arm, wishing in this moment that he hadn’t wasted his magic on Steve, he could try siphoning some of the Hybrid, but not without the other man noticing and that in itself would be dangerous. Rumlow was unstable and powerful, a dangerous combination at the best of times, but utterly terrifying on the man who used to be James’ handler when he had been under lock and key by Hydra and used for their gain. “Brock, you’re hurting me,” he stated as the Hybrid’s grip tightened.

Rumlow didn’t let go though, only eyed James with speculation. “You haven’t siphoned off anyone’s magic in some time, have you?”

“Not recently, no,” James had no reason to lie at this point, Rumlow would see right through it anyway, he could always tell when James was lying.

“Good,” Rumlow responded, sharpened canines flashing in the light. James was in his arm in an instant and the Hybrids mouth was at his neck, teeth latching in and drawing a pained gasp from the other man before he went pliant in Rumlow’s arms. James’ body remembered this, remembered how Good Rumlow could make this feel, how gentle he could be compared to everyone else who'd ever taken him, and even though every instinct rebelled against it his body gave in. Before he knew it blackness closed in and he drifted into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James goes missing and Steve reminisces about his past choices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So chapter two. A little background. Shield and Hydra are actually a bunch of packs who have come together for a common goal, not a single pack. For example, Shield has Steve's pack, known as the Avenger pack, and others too be mentioned packs like Coulson's and Peter Quill's, Hydra had Ward's growing pack, the Strike pack and Strucker's. 
> 
> Short trigger warning, mentions of torture and gruesome deaths of the Howling Commandos and one suicide/mercy death. It's minor and not overly descriptive, but it's there. 
> 
> Enjoy chap 2, comments and suggestions much appreciated.

"Fucking hells," screamed Steve as he hurled his water glass at the wall of the loft his pack called home. "It's been less than twelve hours and they've already got him."

Tony shrugged before flopping down on the couch, he'd been the one to bring the news that Sharon hadn't seen Bucky return to his apartment last night and he WS starting to regret being the bearer of this particular bad news. "Let's not jump to conclusions, maybe Bucky-bear took your advice and got out of dodge. I mean I know he's immortal and all but a Hybrid is nothing to scoff at."

It was Natasha and not Steve who responded, "unlikely, James isn't one to run away from a fight."

"He's also completely defenseless without ready access to magic he can siphon off of someone or something," Sam pointed out. James Buchanan Barnes was unique when it came to his magic. The most powerful witch to ever walk the earth and credited with the creation of the first Vampire, Steve, but due to some freak accident in his youth he lost all magic of his own and instead had to leech it from other supernatural creatures he came into contact with and use it as his own."

"He still wouldn't run," Steve answered, glancing over his shoulder at his pack before cleaning up the broken glass, ever the Boy Scout. "He's too stubborn for that."

"I don't get why everyone's raising such a fuss," commented Tony. "Barnes can't be killed even if Rumlow does find him, and I get it, he's a hybrid yes, but it's one man and what's left of the few Hydra packs that escaped your wrath but that's it."

"I thought the same thing after I took down Schmidt," retorted Steve, I thought we had wiped them out. Instead I found out they had grown, festering within our own packs until it was near impossible to tell who was Shield and who was Hydra." Steve turned back towards the window, fiddling with his magic daylight ring, the same one James had made for him when he first became a vampire so he could walk in the sun. "I won't make that mistake again. This time we make sure they're eradicated."

The huge door into the loft slid open and all eyes turned to Bruce standing in the doorway, a book bag soaked in blood in one hand. 

Even from across the room Steve would recognize that smell. "You found him."

Bruce could only shake his head, "the scent goes cold just outside of town."

Just like it did seventy years ago. 

\--

Steve's pack didn't know the whole story, didn't need to understand where his vendetta against the various packs that had come together to form Hydra had come from. Natasha had her suspicions of course, but nothing concrete and Steve refused to share more about his past than absolutely necessary. 

Hydra had first reared its head in the 1940's, after James and Steve had already been alive for centuries and found a pack to call their own. Steve could still remember the day they had decimated his pack, had destroyed the closet thing he had to family and forced him to barter away the freedom of the immortal man he loved for the human women he cared for. 

Hydra had managed to capture Steve and his Howling pack and then had forced him to watch as his pack mates were murdered one by one. Dugan had been ripped limb from limb in the middle of his transformation into the wolf. Dernier and Gabe had had their daylight rings torn off and burned in the morning light. Morita hadn't even been granted that quick of a death, instead he had been dunked in a pool of water until the ifrit's fire burned out and he died. Monty though, Monty had it the worst. An anomaly in the supernatural world as a male banshee, hydra had just let the voices of the dead get to him until the Brit slit his own wrist to escape the noise in his head. 

And then, when only he, Peggy and James remained, then Hydra had offered it. James' freedom in exchange for Peggy's life. Steve didn't have any choice, couldn't just let her, the only human in their pack, die even as they dragged James out of his cell screaming and did God knows what to him for seventy years. 

He'd burned Hydra to the ground for that, or at least he thought he had. Thought they had died with Schmidt. Instead they showed up a mere six months ago, back and planted in the heart of nine of the key Shield packs like some sort of tumor. 

He'd found James again too, trapped like some sort of a pet in a cage at the Strike pack's den. He'd searched for him after he had taken out Hydra the first time, of course he had, but every trace of him had vanished. 

Steve could still remember the way rage had bubbled under his skin when he saw James, saw his bloody, emaciated, listless form. He'd ripped strike apart, thought he had left no survivors but once more he was wrong. Someone dug Rumlow out of the rubble and turned him into a werewolf vampire hybrid, gifted him with an invulnerability to death that hereto only James and Steve had possessed. 

That was six months ago. At first Steve had tried to repair the bond with James, but the other man wanted nothing to do with him, not after Steve had just handed him over to his tormentors. The only thing that managed to grow between them was resentment and anger. 

Look where that lead them now, once more James was in Hydra's hands and Steve was left with nothing more than the growing sense of guilt in the pit of his stomach and a scent that had already gone cold.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James wakes up and recalls the last time Hydra had managed to get a hold of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos appreciated!!

James comes back to consciousness in a similar manner to how he passed out of it, slowly, groggily, and with the unsettling feeling of deja vu. The first thing he registered was that he was sitting on the floor, soft carpet beneath him. The next was that his hands were cuffed above his head with standard police issue handcuffs to an iron rail, the footboard of the bed he thinks. Finally he noticed the cloth that had been tied around his head, effectively gagging him. So they wanted him quiet, neighbors nearby so that ruled out a safe house. The room was small, but the furniture was not generic enough to be a hotel room, so an apartment complex, he could work with that if he managed to get out of the cuffs.

He was startled from his thoughts by the door opening. He only caught a quick glimpse of what appeared to be a living room before Rumlow was closing the door behind him. It wasn’t much, but is was enough to make out two other figures seated on the couch. That meant he had at least two others to contend with, including Rumlow, once he got free. He would need magic, so first and foremost, he needed to get Rumlow to touch him.

“Hey sweetheart,” Rumlow started as he crouched down in front of James. “Sorry about all this,” he gestured to James bound wrists and the gag that stopped him from screaming. “We have a safe house ready, we just can’t move you until nightfall.” Rumlow reached up to cup James’ face, thumb sweeping across his cheekbone. “Once we’re there we can dispense with some of the precautions we’ve been forced to take.”

James didn’t hear the last part though, no, all he could focus on was that single point of contact between them, the pad of Rumlow’s thumb on his cheek. This might be the only opportunity he would have, so he focused, worked to pull out any magic he could from the other man. He could feel the power thrumming under Rumlow’s skin, it was right there and then suddenly, nothing.

The shock must have shown on his face because Rumlow grinned before reaching up to tap his hand on the inside of James’ wrist, just below the cuffs. “Rollins, who’s also alive by the way, figured out a way to place a ward on your ability to pull magic from others. It’s temporary and will only las as long as the rune on your wrist, but it’s better than the old method of simply beating the shit out of you anytime you tried to siphon even a little bit of magic off of us.”

James craned his head backwards to get a better look at his wrist. Sure enough, there on the inside of his wrist was the gaelic rune carved into his skin. “It’s clever,” Rumlow commented, “using your ancestry to bind you, makes it stronger. None of us would have figured that out though if we hadn’t done some digging, there isn’t much information out there on you, but what we were able to find was enlightening.”

That caught James attention, his head snapping down to meet the other man’s predatory gaze. “You didn’t think we wouldn’t find out eventually did you. Sorry sweetheart, we know all about that little blood ritual of yours you attempted eighty odd years ago and what it ended up costing you. You put up a brave front, but your not who you once were. We know that now, so be a good boy and we will treat you like the sweet little pet you are.”

A very large part of James wishes they would just go back to beating him like they used to, at least then he could just go back to hating them.

__

-1978-

Those first few decades within Hydra’s grasp had been horrible. The only saving grace was that they were so terrible and caused him so much pain that now they were little more than hazy memories and half formed recollections of cruelty and fear. What came after though, those memories he retained with complete clarity.

It was the late seventies, maybe the early eighties - James really had no way of knowing at the time - and Hydra had essentially beaten any semblance of disobedience out of him by the time Rumlow entered the picture.

Hydra had taken to keeping him locked in one of the empty rooms of the warehouse the Strike pack used as their pack den. They had provided him with a nicely sized bed, but little else. His wrists were attached to the bed frame by a length of chain that allowed for some free range of movement, but not beyond the confines of the bed. James didn’t know why they bothered, it had been years since the last time he had attempted to run.

It was around noon - thank god for the small window in the room that had been his cell, otherwise James might have gone mad - when someone shoved a dark haired, solidly built man into the room.

James sat up from where he had been laying on the bed to inspect the intruder while he just blinked back at James with wide bottomless black eyes. 

There was an unnatural pallor to his skin and black veins pulsing and dark around his eyes. Newborn vampire it was then. Hydra had thrown their newborns in with him in the past - one just two days ago actually. It made sense, his blood was potent and he could not be killed. The alternative was letting them out on the loose in the nearest city to kill and feed as they saw fit and while Hydra might not have shied away from murder when it suited their needs, dead bodies had a way of drawing unwanted attention. Thus the simplest solution was to let the baby vampires feed off him until they had had their fill. 

James knew the drill so he simply lay back down and curled onto his side. The vampire would take what he wanted anyway and what magic he might be able to siphon off of him wouldn’t be worth the beating he would take later for his attempt. 

He expected sharp pain at his throat and rough hands, that wasn’t what he received at all. Instead bed shift beneath another’s weight and a gentle hand grip his shoulder and turn him onto his back and press him into the mattress.

He was greeted by the sight of the baby vampire inspecting him with soft inquisitive eyes. The stranger reached up to push some face out of James’ face - it was getting a bit long once again - and traced James features with long slender fingers. When he finally spoke after he had completed his inspection it was with a rough and gravelly voice, “Rollins said you were pretty, but I didn’t expect you to be this beautiful.”

James could only blink up at the man stupidly, the last person to call him beautiful had been Steve and that was years ago, before hunger and pain had settled into the lines of his face, the hallow of his cheeks and the dark smudges beneath his eyes. 

The strangers gaze trailed down to his throat before returning to his eyes once more. “I’m sorry,” he murmured as he tugged James up into his arms, one strong arm going around his waist to hold him close chile the other hand threaded through his hair, cradling head as he mouthed at James’ throat where his pulse pounded beneath the skin. “I’m sorry, I’m so very sorry sweetheart” he whispered against his skin before to sharp points of pain pierced James skin.

Even as the darkness closed in he could still feel the gentle way the stranger handled him, could hear the sweet nothings he would intimate each time he pulled pack from James throat, soft promises of kindness and affection.

In retrospect, James would have preferred the pain to the empty promises and false hope.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy gives Steve her thoughts in his choices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little background on why Steve made the choice he did here, more to come though.

Peggy Carter was still lovely, even seventy years after she had walked away from Steve's offer to turn her. She'd lived a full, happy life with a husband and children, and a large part of Steve was happy for her. But even so, another part of him missed her, missed what they had been. But she hadn't wanted to be a vampire and Steve would have never turned her by force. 

"No news yet then Steven," Peggy asked from her place in bed after Steve had placed the flowers he had brought her in a vase by the window. The nursing home she stayed in was nice yes, but a little impersonal so he tried to bring her flowers at least once a week. 

"It's been three weeks since he went missing," Steve sat down heavily on the chair next to Peggy's bed. "We've tried everything. Bruce lost his scent within the first twelve hours, Clint's locator spell failed, so did Wanda's. We even contacted Coulson's pack to see if Morse and Hunter could track them down, but Morse is still critical after what Ward put her through and Hunter won't leave her side. Fitzsimmons tried a few tracking spells of their own but nothing worked. We only just found him a few months ago, I'm beginning to worry we've lost him again, this time maybe forever."

"Don't give up just yet, James is strong, he wouldn't have survived as long as he did the first time through if he wasn't. He'll find a way out of this."

"I can't help but feel as though it's my fault though," Steve lamented. "I should have had him watched, should have seen this coming. James is powerful and of course Hydra would want that. Of course they would seek him out once again."

Peggy patted his hand sympathetically, "you can't blame yourself. You warned James, this time was not your fault."

"This time," Steve echoed. 

Peggy's smile was sad, " you know my feelings on the choice you made, you know I think it was a mistake." 

"I wasn't going to let them kill you Peg, I couldn't let them kill you," Steve's tone was indignant as he repeated the same argument he had made over and over again. "You're human Peggy, always have been, James isn't. Whatever they would have done to him he would have survived, you wouldn't have."

"Yes, James survived, but at what cost Steven. You loved me, I knew that the moment you offered to turn me, the moment you chose me over him, but you loved James as well. You've loved him centuries before I came along and you will continue to love him for centuries after. I'm not meant to, nor do I want to attempt to, take his place. The choices you have made may have cost you the one person who was supposed to be your forever."

\--

Peggy had burst into their lives in the early nineteen forties and from the first moment Steve was completely infatuated. He and James loved each other of course, but a long time ago they had agreed that an eternity of monogamy wasn't exactly realistic and so long as they were open and honest with each other they were free to pursue other dalliances as well. 

James had been involved with a few different individuals over the centuries. There was that vampire in Romania, Sebastian, and his werewolf paramour, Christopher, in the fifteenth century. Then there had been that curious woman, Clara, in nineteenth century Paris. She had appeared in odd clothing for the time for maybe a day and then vanished without a trace. Most recently there had been Falsworth. Monty and James were well matched in terms of wit and temperament so it wasn't much of a surprise when they had tumbled into bed together. 

Steve, however, had been much more selective in his dalliances and had taken no one except James to his bed, of course all of the was before Peggy. She was strong, confident, and just the right sort of beautiful to draw Steve's eye. Furthermore, she returned his affections even after she discovered what kind of monster he was. 

She'd been assimilated into the pack only a few short weeks before they were captured by Hydra. 

Throughout the course of their capture they were largely held in separate cells. Steve had been chained to the wall of his while James and Peggy were held on either side. James wrists were bound but nothing else, and Peggy, being a human and thus seen as nothing even resembling a threat, remained unbound. 

The others had already been killed, James was still sobbing over Monty's corpse which was barely even cold yet and had been thrown into the cell with his former lover, when Schmidt and his little pet witch Zola decided to lay them one last visit. 

Johann Schmidt was a fearsome creature. A werewolf who was even older than Steve and James, he had been rampaging across Europe for centuries, hunting for individuals to add to his grotesque little mockery of a pack. He used charisma, intimidation, fear and any other method he saw fit to acquire powerful individuals who suited his needs. He had been chasing Steve and James for years but with limited success. It was only a fluke that he even managed to capture them now, but here they were. 

When he came down to the cells that day he didn't even bother greeting them before he had grabbed James, hand twisting in his hair, and dragged him into Peggy's cell. 

"Good morning Captain," his voice sounded pleased and self satisfied, as though he had finally figured something out. "I must admit, I admire your resistance to give me what I want, even in light of your comrades deaths, but you see I am growing weary of your stubbornness and I am beginning to see that you may actually be of little use to me." Schmidt turned to glance down at James, one gloved hand gripping his jaw and forcing the witch to look up at the wolf. "You're little witch though, he certainly has his uses," he tugged James up, forcing the man to stand and dragging him closer for inspection, thumb of the hand on his jaw tugging at his lower lip, "pretty too, there are many within my packs ranks who would love the opportunity to bed him." He kept his grip on James even as he pulled out a pistol and pressed it to Peggy's forehead. "You care for both of them very dearly do you not? I'm going to be kind and give you a choice," Schmidt turned to look at Steve as he struggled against his bonds. "The Human's life in exchange for your witch, sounds fair, more than that, generous actually when I could simply kill her and take the young Mr. Barnes with me anyway whether you wanted me to or not."

"Bastard," Steve hissed as he continued to struggle. 

"Perhaps," Schmidt responded as he pressed the barrel of the gun forward and shoved James down onto the knees. "Still does not answer my question though, make your choice or I will make it for you."

Steve glanced frantically between James and Peggy. He looked to James, but the other man wasn't looking at him, instead he glared up at Schmidt, hate and rage burning fiercely in his eyes. Had James had any magic left Schmidt would have already been reduced to a tiny pile of ash. Peggy's eyes were locked on Steve, her large sad and very human eyes. In that moment Steve knew he only had one choice. 

"Agreed." He responded, ignoring the way James eyes snapped to him and the utter betrayal he saw there, ignoring the way Peggy hissed in disappointment. James was strong, James would survive whatever it was Hydra had planned for him. James would live until Steve found him again, and now, so would Peggy. 

"Well done," Schmidt dragged James to his feet and shoved him into the arms of another wolf who dragged James from the cells and up the stairs even as he was spitting and cursing the whole way. Schmidt tossed a set of keys at Steve's feet. "Zola has spelled those so that they will only unlock you after an hour has passed so once you are free we will be long gone from this place. I thank you for your excellent choice just as I thank you for allowing me to acquire one of the most sought after witches in the world, it's very kind of you to give him up in exchange for a mere human," and with that Schmidt was off, flouncing out of Steve's life and leaving behind a wave of destruction. 

Schmidt and Hydra would both burn for this, Steve promised that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Rolllins have a much needed talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fyi, in the previous chapter (chap 3) when Rumlow mentions how Rollins said Bucky was pretty, yeah Rollins was a two year old. He pretty much grew up in Hydra. No worries, you'll get to see plenty of kid!Jack and he is absolutely adorable!

They had moved James to one of the safe houses almost four weeks ago. The gag and handcuffs had been removed, but James had been confined to one of the bedrooms. Rollins visited daily to renew the ward on his wrist. Usually Rumlow would visit during this time as well, but today Jack was alone. 

They sat on the bed, Jack gently gripping Jame's arm as he carved out the rune with a slim knife. 

"You know if you continue to do this eventually it's going to leave a permanent scar," James commented offhand, breaking the silence for the first time today. 

"Uh huh," responded Rollins distractedly, not even looking up from his work. 

James pressed on since clearly the other witch wasn't picking up on what he meant. "A permanent scar like that which could potentially bind my ability to siphon magic off other's, possibly forever." Why would Hydra want that, he'd be useless to them. 

"Good," Rollins answered as he finally finished up his work. "Would save me the job of having to come up with some other way to do it." 

James sputtered for a moment before managing to form his thoughts throughly. "I'm useless to you without my magic, why would you jeopardize that."

Rollins sighed before setting about bandaging James arm, something they'd taken to doing as they noticed the blood that was getting everywhere the first few days they had carved the rune out. His hands were gentle and kind as he worked. "Brock already told you we know about the blood ritual right?" James nodded, Rollins set his now bandaged arm down and looked at him. "I get why you tried to end it, I do, but that was reckless, dangerous, and the likelihood of it ever working was slim."

"Except it did work, sort of."

Rollins nodded, "when you performed that ritual eighty or so years ago, when you tried to make yourself mortal again most of the world assumed you failed. It's part of the reason that everyone assumes it's impossible to kill both you and Rogers. If you, the man who made the two of you immortal in the first place, failed to undo that magic than what hope does anyone else have. Except it did work. You're not mortal in the traditional sense, but you are dying. Each time you use someone else's magic you become a few steps closer to death. You may not die by natural means, but slowly you are managing to kill yourself."

He was right, of course he was. James had undone his immortality, or at least a part of it. Magic wasn't a one size fits all and theoretically his body wouldn't be compatible with anyone else's magic. However, up until the 1940's he had been immortal so any ill effects of using someone else's magic had been negated, until he managed to find a small loophole in his immortality, one he hadn't even realized had worked until a month after he had been released from Hydra the first time. That still didn't explain why Hydra cared, something he voiced immediately to Rollins. 

The look Rollins gave him was one filled with pity. "You don't get it do you. I've known you my entire life, nearly forty years. You taught me how to master my magic, hot to be strong. I've known Brock since I was only two years old. The two of you have been the only constants in my life. I was essentially orphaned when my father sold me to Hydra to pay his debts, you two, you're the only family I have and I am not going to let you kill yourself." Rollins grabbed James face and forced him to meet his eyes. "You may not see it yet, but we're not the bad guys here, we're just trying to find someway to protect you from yourself. Brock and I, we can't lose you Winter, you're too important to both of our lives. 

"Even if it's what I want?"

"I said we were here to protect you, even if it's from yourself."

\--

Peggy had burst into their lives in the nineteen forties and Steve was infatuated. In many ways that was the beginning of the end for James. 

Sure, he had dabbled in bedding other people, but that was always just lust, he'd never loved any of them the way he loved Steve. But this, this was different. Steve looked at Peggy the way he used to look at James, how he hadn't looked at James in nearly a century. Steve was in love with Peggy. They'd been drifting apart for years, but this human woman might finally be the one thing that tore them apart and James couldn't live with that. Steve might be able to move on and find love again, but he could not. 

Or so he had thought the day they met Peggy Carter, before James Montgomery Falsworth had stumbled into his life. 

Monty had shown up about three weeks after Peggy And it had take. Exactly two days for he and James to tumble into bed. Two weeks later they could both say without hesitation that they were utterly smitten. 

There was only one minor problem, Monty was mortal. A banshee yes, formidable, certainly, but still utterly mortal. He would age, wither and die in a way James could not. 

Or could he, old magic could be undone, given the right amount of magic and enough willpower. The thought that he might be better off mortal had come to him late one night that they lay tangled together in bed, both of them sleepy and sated after a rather acrobatic round of lovemaking. Monty rested on his side, drawing random patterns and designs on James back as the other man lay on his stomach next to him. 

"I love you, you know that right?" James asked. 

"Of course," Monty responded, leaning down to place a kiss on the mans shoulder. "Just as I love you, and will continue to love you until I pass from this world. Even as you go on to love others, to continue loving our fearless Captain."

James rolled onto his back frowning as he reached up to push some of the hair that had fallen out of place from the other mans face. "Steve doesn't love me anymore, hasn't for sometime. Besides he has Peggy now."

Monty snorted out a laugh. "Don't act like a petulant child love, it doesn't suite you."

James sat up, voice indignant now. "I mean it, he doesn't want me. He adores Peggy and I'm fine with that, at least I am now, but someday I'll lose you and I can't stand thinking about that."

"Miss Carter and I are mortal dearest. Someday we will both die," his voice was patient as he pulled James into his arms. "You and Steven will find each other again, a love like yours isn't something to fade the way ours will, it won't die with one of us."

"And if I was mortal, if I could grow old with you, would you continue to love me even when I'm not young and beautiful."

Monty grabbed James face, tugging the other man forward so they were eye to eye. "I would love you until our dying day, until we're both old and gray. I would, and I will, never stop loving you."

Promises like that could convince a witch to try some very old, very dangerous magic. Promises like that could make someone try to give up their immortality.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short interludes with various characters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expanding the world a bit more. This fic is growing way more than I had initially thought it would so some of the other key players are going to start getting fleshed out as well.

Everything hurt but she didn't really have a choice now, she had to get up. 

She had just tugged a shirt on despite her protesting ribs when she heard someone else enter the room. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing up," called a lightly accented and thoroughly exasperated voice. 

She turned to see a slim, short man with dark hair standing in the doorway, a steaming cup of tea in each hand. "Rogers contacted Coulson about tracking down Barnes and Rumlow, I needed to get up. "

He set the cups down before stepping forward and hearing her back towards the bed. "I get that you want to help Bobbie, but that's not our problem now, Coulson already said we weren't available to help, not after what Ward did to you."

"I'm not going to be helping Roger's Lance."

Hunter looked incredulous at that, "so you're going to help Rumlow," his voice rose in pitch steadily, "and when exactly did you plan on telling me you were Hydra, before or after we walked away from Coulson's pack and settled down in the middle of no where like we planned, like you promised."

She threw a dirty look his way before sitting down on the bed to pull on a pair of boots. "It's not like that and you know it." Once the boots were on she went hunting for a few of her knives and the staves she preferred to use in close combat. "I infiltrated Hydra, remember, I'm the reason Rogers even found Barnes in the first place. I know that Hydra was filled with monsters, I know most of them were like Ward, Bakshi, and Pierce, but Rollins and Rumlow weren't those sort of monsters. The only reason either of them remained with the strike pack as long as they did was because they didn't have any choice. They protected Barnes as much as they could from the abuse he suffered within the pack. Barnes has made it clear that he doesn't want Rogers around. After what he suffered, I'm inclined to make sure that desire is granted, and I know Rumlow will keep him safe." She pulled Hunter forward so he stood in front of where she sat, "you said you wouldn't ever trust me again after what happened before, but I desperately need you to trust me now."

Hunter sighed before leaning forward to press his forehead to hers, "except I do trust you Bob, even after everything and I think I might continue to trust you until the day it gets me killed." He leaned away, pulling back to grab the crossbow that had been sitting on the table and hand it to Bobbie, "alright, let's go warn Rumlow."

\--

"It just doesn't make any sense," commented Natasha from where she sat at the Barton's kitchen table. Clint was at the sink doing dishes while a pregnant Laura bustled around cleaning up the last of dinner. "It takes a powerful witch to cloak someone as strong as Rumlow or Barnes but by all accounts Rumlow is acting alone, nothing we've found has indicated he has any living accomplices." The hunt had stalled out and it was frustrating Natasha to no end. She should be better than this, she should be able to find them. 

Clint shrugged, "maybe he picked up a witch along the way."

"With that much power, he would need someone like you or Wanda, witches and Druids with that much strength are hard to come by."

Clint nodded, "true, but Rumlow was always close to Rollins, he was pretty powerful, maybe he introduced him to some other powerful witches before he got killed."

It was then that it all clicked, "Clint, they never found Rollins body did they?"

"Well not that we know of, most everyone was charred to a crisp in the fire, we did find that necklace of his that belonged to his sister on one of the bodies though so I'm pretty certain he's good and dead."

"We thought Rumlow was dead and look how that turned out," Natasha responded, "do you still have that necklace."

Clint shook his head, "Fury has everything that was pulled from the rubble that day, but I don't doubt we could get it."

Natasha had her phone out and was typing out a text message before Clint even finished, "good, once we have it, I need you to do a tracking spell for Rollins, if they think that we believe he's dead than there would be no reason that he would waste energy on shielding himself. We find Rollins, we find Rumlow."

\--

"You're sure you want to keep pursuing this," asked Sam as he sat across from Steve, the other man pouring over the map, marking off those locations that had proved to be dead ends. "It's been two months, for all we know they've left the country, at this point we're just chasing shadows."

"Then I'll start looking overseas if need be," Steve didn't even look up. 

"Look, I get it man, you and Barnes, eternal lovers and all that, I get it I really do, especially after I lost Riley, but I think he's made it pretty clear he wants nothing to do with you."

"Doesn't mean I'll stop protecting him," Steve responded. "I know that I've made a mistake when I left him with Hydra all those years ago, you, Peggy, Nat, everyone's pointed that out, but no one seems to see that I made my choice because in that instance I couldn't let Peggy die. James is strong, resilient and I thought so long as Peg and I made it out alive we would find him, I would burn Hydra down to find him and we would all be reunited in a few days, a couple weeks maximum. I never thought he would just vanish for seventy years. And then, when I finally did find him, the state he was in was almost worse than I could imagine. He was weak, beaten bloody, used as food for whichever vampire took a fancy to him and almost completely dependent on Rumlow. He was all of those things because I failed him, because I couldn't find him the first time. I'm not going to fail him again."

Sam sighed, prepared for a long argument about how none of this mattered when they had no way of locating Barnes when suddenly his phone beeped, incoming text from Nat. "Steve, you're going to want to see this."

"What?" Steve asked peering up at Sam. 

"Nat and Clint have a lead on Barnes."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finds Bucky again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments much appreciated.

It had been a little over two months now since he'd been taken. The ward on his wrist wasn't taking in the permanent manner Rollins had hoped so he was desperately searching for some other way to bind James power, some other way to keep him alive. 

Rumlow too was growing desperate, agitated. The only saving grace seemed to be that James had accepted his fate, had come to terms with the fact that the two men were only trying to help him. He may not have liked the idea of losing his magic, of becoming utterly defenseless and powerless for the rest of eternity, but at least he wasn't fighting it or trying to run anymore. 

The three of them were seated on the couch in the living room of the safe house when everything came crashing down. 

Rollins was on one side of James, head on the other witches shoulder while Rumlow was seated on James other side, arm wrapped over the back of James shoulder, fingers of one hand twisting in Rollins hair while the other hand traced the ward etched into James skin. "How long do you think it will last this time?" He asked. 

Rollins glanced up at the other man then back to James before responding. "A day, maybe two, Winter's accelerated healing has slowed down a bit in the absence of magic, but not enough for a scar to last more than a few days." James hadn't ever intentionally tried to give himself a scar so he couldn't speak to how accurate that statement was, but it seemed to be the case over the last few months, the maximum a ward had lasted on him yet had been a week, and that had only been because Rumlow had held him down and Rollins had dug the mark so far into his skin that he could see bone. He had a high pain threshold yes, but nothing could hold back the screams that time. 

"We need a permanent solution," Rumlow commented. "We can't keep doing this forever.

"Working on it," Rollins answered before shifting up to place a quick kiss on Rumlow's cheek before he shifted back to face James, hands twisting in his hair and pulling him into a searing kiss while Rumlow looked on. 

James was used to it at this point, in fact it hadn't been all that different from the first time he was in Hydra's hands. Sometime during the last five years or so of his time in captivity both Rumlow and Rollins had started taking him to bed. They were gentler than most so James wasn't inclined to complain all that much and going along with their wishes had resulted in less pain and misery so when they began to get this way it was often easiest to play along, to give into what pleasure he could get out of this. 

When Rollins pulled away another hand wound itself into his hair and jerked his head back, a pair of sharp canines scraping across his throat dragging a moan out of James. 

Soon a second pair of lips joined those on his neck, pulling down his collar to suck a bruise at the juncture of his shoulder and neck while a pair of hands worked their way under the hem of his shirt. James simply closed his eyes, tilting his head back further as Rumlow's grip on his hair softened, turning gentle as James gave into sensation. 

Rollins was part way through divesting James of his shirt when suddenly he jerked back eyes going wide. "The wards, they're going off, someone's here." 

All three men's gaze snapped over to the front door when a harsh pounding was heard. That shouldn't have been possible, the wards were placed two miles out, they should have had more warning than this. 

"Rollins, Rumlow, I know you're in here," yelled a very familiar voice. 

Both men glanced at each other, "Morse?" They both questioned in unison. 

"No shit geniuses, now open the door."

"You might want to listen to her," commented another voice, I've seen her break doors stronger than this down before."

"Hunter," added Rumlow, having encountered the man once before. 

Rollins and Rumlow both stood, pulling James to his feet, the witch went to open the door while the Hybrid pulled James behind him so he was standing between James and the intruders on the other side of the door. 

"The fuck are you doing here," Rollins asked as he opened the door to reveal a tall leggy blonde and a shorter dark haired man, "and how did you get past my wards."

The women, Morse, held up a small medallion around her neck before shouldering past Rollins and into the house. "Witch friends in high places."

"Given enough money Izzy will get us just about anything we need and will keep her mouth shut should Shield start asking questions," added the man. 

"Then why did my wards go off," Rollins asked as he shut the door behind them. 

"That's what I'm here to warn you about, Rogers knows you're here, he's on his way now."

"Shit," Rumlow muttered pulling James closer to him, "we need to go, now."

"Too late," called a voice from behind the closed door before it was blown off its hinges, slamming into Rollins and sending him flying into the nearest wall where he crumpled in a heap. 

Steve was through the door in an instant, hand around Rumlow's throat and shoving him up into the wall until he was dangling off or the ground, struggling in the vampire's grip. Morse and Hunter were out the door in a second later, Natasha and Sam moving out of their way as they went. They may have been willing to warn Rollins and Rumlow, but they were both human and neither one of them were willing to get into the middle of a fight between an angry Vampire and a baby Hybrid. 

James, however, had no such qualms and he certainly wasn't about to let Steve go and do something stupid like try to kill Rumlow when he knew deep down the other man was only trying to help. "Rogers put him down," he grabbed at Steve's arm, wishing that his ability to siphon magic hadn't been blocked in this instant, maybe then he'd actually be able to do something instead of being completely useless. 

Steve didn't obey James command, but he did look down, brows knit together in confusion as he wondered why the witch hadn't tried to use any of his power against him. He knew James and he knew the other man had no issue turning his abilities against his ex lover any more. It was then that he saw it, the uncovered rune carved into the brunettes arm. He'd seen that rune before, seen James himself use it to close off the mountain pass into their village when bandits would attack when they were children, seen him use it to bind the sire bond between vampires so that the baby vampire wouldn't be beholden to their maker. He knew what that sort of mark on the other mans skin would do, what it would prevent him from doing. He slammed Rumlow into the wall harder now, making the Hybrid see stars and relishing the sick cracking sound as his head collided with the wall. "So that's how you're keeping him here, by keeping him weak and powerless, without his magic he can't fight back, is that right," he spit out. "I bet you get off on it you sick bastard, having someone like him at your mercy."

"It's not like that, they're trying to protect me," James protested. 

Steve wasn't even looking at him, eyes locked firmly on Rumlow, "no Bucky they're not, you're confused, they've twisted up your mind so throughly that you can't even see what they're doing now." He let out a deep sigh, "I should have seen it before this, should have realized they poisoned your thoughts and memories the first time they had a hold of you."

"And how the fuck would you know Rogers," James shouted, tugging on the vampires arm, trying to pull him away from Rumlow. "You left me with them to rot, do you even know what I went through, do you even get that I had only two people who seemed to care that I lived or died and now you want to go and kill both of them. You ruined my life, you ruined it when you made me cast that immortality spell, you ruined it when you let Monty die, you ruined it when you handed me over to Hydra, and now, if you hurt either of them you'll completely destroy it."

His words wouldn't get through to Steve though, not now, "you'll thank me for this later Buck, once we've gotten everything straightened out and sorted, once you're back to yourself," he moved to push James away, but in his anger he didn't even realize his own strength and James was shoved across the room, slamming into the wall, head cracking against it as his neck snapped back and he crumpled to the ground, darkness closing in so rapidly he didn't even have time to register the vampire hovering above him with a look of shock and guilt plastered on his face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks and memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short little bit of a flash of the boys past but I wanted to get this out as early as possible. More to come soon

Seumas and Stiobhan grew up in a small village in Northern Ireland during the twelfth century. They'd been inseparable since childhood, both of them being taken under the care of one of the Village elders, Erskine, when their parents were killed in a raid by bandits. 

Seumas had a talent for witchcraft, one that blossomed under Erskine's tutelage and made him a valuable asset to the village. Of course it also became necessary that he use his talents to keep Stiobhan out of trouble. He'd always been slim and short with the unfortunate tendency to get into fights with men nearly twice his size. If Seumas hadn't been so exasperated by the way his friend needed to be healed each time he would almost find it endearing how hard his friend fought to defend the honor and dignity of those around him. As it was, he did become one of the best healers in history thanks to Stiobhan and his propensity for getting injured. 

As the years passed and the boys grew so too did Seumas' powers until he surpassed even Erskine. Unfortunately as his strength grew, so did his notoriety and there were more than a few unsavory individuals who coveted that sort of power. 

The worst had been Karapov and his band of wolves. They hailed from the east and had settled in Ireland when the boys had just been babes. For so long they had terrorized the local villages and tribes and it wasn't until Seumas has reached the age of fifteen and settled into his power that they had reached an uneasy truce. The truce could never stand though, not when Karapov so desperately wanted to claim the powerful young witch for his pack. 

The threat finally came to a head in the boys nineteenth year, when both of them were considered men within their village. Karapov had requested a meeting, within the villages limits between him and his second and the village elders. The fact that Seumas' presence was also requested should have been the first sign of trouble. Stiobhan made it clear that he would not allow his friend to attend that meeting alone and so here they both sat, in the central courtyard of their village with four representatives of the villages elder families. 

"I'm here for the boy," Karapov didn't even bother with pleasantries, eyes locked firmly on Seumas. Stiobhan reached out to grip his friends hand, trying to provide comfort. 

Erskine let out a long sigh before he responded. "Seumas is not a bargaining chip for you to claim Karapov, and he will not be taken from his home simply because you demand it."

"I'm giving you an opportunity to give me what I want without bloodshed, you should be grateful."

Erskine's mouth thinned out in displeasure. "That boy is also the reason you've made no such attempt in the last four years, should you attack us you will fail."

Karapov's responding grin was terrifying. "Yes when I was just one pack, but now I have an army behind me. Strucker, Schmidt, even Liukin have expressed interest in the boy. With our combined forces even his magic and your own could not save this little backwater village."

Seumas was shaking at this point, Stiobhan gripping his hand so hard he could practically hear his bones creaking. He wouldn't let them take his friend, even if it killed him. 

Karapov's eyes locked on Seumas as he finished his offer, "you have four hours, bring the boy to the edge of the village by then and you'll be left in peace, fail to do this and we will raize your village to the ground and take him once you are all dead." With that he was gone. 

Stiobhan and Erskine were both on their feet a moment later, dragging Seumas back to the small structure that had been home during the boys childhood. "You must leave, now," Erskine demanded as he furiously packed a few items."

"What, no," cried Seumas, who had finally shaken off the sense of terror that had overcome him in Karapov's presence. "If I run they'll kill all of you."

"They'll kill us anyway, Karapov has no interest in allowing any of us to live even if we give you to him as requested." Erskine was now throwing things at Stiobhan as well, "you must also leave, get far from here the two of you."

Seumas stood his ground though, he wasn't going to drag his friend into the wild to die, "Stiobhan will die out there, I can't let that happen."

"What, no," Stiobhan was indignant at that, even though a part of him knew it was true. Too many ailments and maladies as a child had left him susceptible to illness and weak as an adult. "I'll make it just fine but we're not leaving you." Erskine was the closest thing they had to a father and they could not leave him to his death. 

Erskine continued to ignore the boys pleas, "we're all already dead here, you two must run though. Go, find someplace safe and then you make Stiobhan strong, Seumas. You turn him into someone strong enough to fight off Karapov, strong enough to keep you safe do you hear me. You remember that spell I taught you?"

"Yes, but," Seumas started, that spell was a blood ritual. It would make Stiobhan strong, but it would cost him so much in return. It was black magic and all black magic had a cost. 

"No but's," ordered Erskine as he shoved the boys into their cloaks and furs, winter was well on its way and it was already growing cold. "You and Stiobhan, you live and you fight. You become strong and both of you fight so Karapov can never do what he's about to do here tonight to another village ever again, understood?"

Both boys nodded, they had little choice it seemed, for now running was the only option. "Good, now go," Erskine shoved them out into the open air. They made their way towards the cliffs, they needed to put as much distance between themselves and this village if they had hope of escaping unscathed. 

They had made it near six miles out and into the mountains when Karapov finally struck. Despite the distance they could still hear the screams.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve gets a little sense knocked into him, although apparently not enough.

James felt like he'd been run over by a truck when he finally came to again. A very large, very blond truck with super strength who was at his side the moment his eyes fluttered open. 

"Hey Buck, how are you feeling," the vampire asked, concern clear on his pale features. 

"Like I went a few rounds with a vampire and lost," he pushed himself up off the bed into sitting position, flinching as his ribs screamed in protest. "Badly."

"I'm sorry about that, I got angry and didn't realize how hard I pushed you, or how fragile you were without your magic, three broken ribs and a concussion were the worst of it and they should have healed by now."

"Good," James responded, "now where are Rumlow and Rollins."

Steve's face immediately shut down, all traces of friendliness gone. "So help me Rogers, if they're dead I will end you," James swore, immediately fearing the worst. 

"They're alive," Steve responded, standing and moving towards the window in the room. James recognized where they were now, Steve's bedroom in the loft, same place he'd taken him right after his first time as Hydra's captive. "Clint has them contained in one of the spare bedrooms but with Rollins level of power he won't be able to hold them for much longer, we'll need a more permanent solution. 

James climbed to his feet now, wobbling slightly, having to catch the edge of the bed to keep his balance. "We'll be out of your hair by day's end," the sooner he could get out of here the better. 

Steve was across the room and blocking to door in the blink of an eye, "I can't let you go with them Buck."

"Get out of my way Steve," James responded. "If you want what's best for me you'll leave me alone and let me go with Rollins and Rumlow,they want what's best for me."

"No they don't," Steve snapped back. "You can't even see how they've got you all twisted around can you."

"They're trying to protect me, or didn't you hear Stevie, I'm dying."

Steve straightened up to his full height, eyes hard, "I know that Buck, but that doesn't make what they've been doing right, that doesn't mean they get to decide to bind your magic for you, that's your choice, not theirs and if you think for a second this is about them protecting you you're wrong. This is about revenge for them, this is about taking the one person I want and twisting him around so much so that your loyal to them and only them. This is about getting back at me for taking down Hydra by working through you."

James threw his head back as he laughed, "the whole world doesn't revolve around you Stevie, so don't go thinking you're so special that Rumlow and Rollins would go through so much hassle just for revenge. And choice, you really want to talk about choice. How about how you let me choose to be Hydra's captive for seventy years, or how I got to choose to turn you into a bloodsucking leech and cripple my own magic. When have you ever given me a choice."

"We didn't have any other options Bucky," Steve protested. 

"We had a four day lead on Karapov, they had practically lost our scent so don't feed me that bullshit Rogers."

"How about how I let you go forward with a spell that would turn you mortal, the same spell that is killing you now," Steve quickly changed tactics. 

"Oh bull," James shot back, "we both know you didn't know about that until this whole debacle," he waved his hands at the room around him signifying their current set of circumstances. "And had you not been so wrapped up in Carter that you didn't even realize I existed anymore we both know you would have tried to stop me even though all I ever wanted in that instant was to be mortal, to be given a choice about how I lived and how I died, to actually be with someone who could love me back for me and not out of some sense of guilt and pity." James stepped forward, poking Steve in the chest and hissing at him "you can play high and mighty all you want but at the end of the day you're no different that Rollins and Rumlow when it comes to giving me a choice in anything."

That did have Steve deflating a bit. He'd always felt bad that he didn't see how lost James had become in the latter years, he'd intended to do something for so long to show the other man how much he cares, that he wasn't just there out of obligation or pity because he was the reason James' power was they way it is now. But then Peggy had come along and everything after that had moved so quickly, what with Monty showing up in their lives and then being captured by Hydra. "I get it Buck, I do, but I can't let you do this and you know why. I can't let you go with them."

James was fuming at this point but he didn't have much of a choice, as far as he could tell the ward on his arm was still firmly intact and there was ultimately nothing he could do to overpower Steve. "Fine, but you can at least let me see them, let me confirm with my own two eyes that you aren't going to make me bury another dead lover," it was harsh, but fair, in some ways Monty's death was Steve's fault. He'd been Hydra's first target and it was only after it was clear he wouldn't give in that they set their sights on James. 

Steve nodded, stepping out of the way now, "down the hall and in the spare bedroom, Clint will let you through." He wouldn't follow him, couldn't watch that reunion and guarantee that he wouldn't murder the two men for touching what had been his for so long.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James makes a choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See tags please

Clint hadn't allowed Bucky into the room they were holding Rollins and Rumlow in, but he did let him up to the open door where a invisible wall of power divided them. 

Rollins was the first to notice him, "Winter," he breathed out moving forward and sinking down to his knees so he was level with where James was, sitting in front of the barrier, back propped up against the wall. 

"Sweetheart," Rumlow was right behind him, moving into a crouch. 

"Are you ok," asked Rollins, concern etched in his features. "Brock said you took a hard hit when you went down."

James responded with a wan, sad smile. "I'm fine, what about you, you took the brunt of the hit when Steve decided to blow the door off its hinges."

Rollins grinned in response, "a bit bruised but I'll make it."

"We aren't going to let the get away with this Winter," Rumlow growled, his tone setting James on edge. Reminding him of Steve's earlier words. 

"Brock, they've been trying to protect me, it's misguided and I'll set them straight and then we'll be on our way but it's nothing to start a war over," James tried to placate the Hybrid. 

"No," Rumlow snapped, ignoring Rollins' worried glance and James' sharp intake of breath. "Rogers has done nothing but take things away and destroy our lives, I'm not going to let him walk away from that this time. I will ruin everything he ever cared about"

James drew back away, so it was about revenge, Steve had been right the whole time and he was too much of an idiot not to see it. 

Rollins was the first to see the mistake, pressing forward against the barrier, "darling that's not what he meant and you know it,"

It didn't take long for Rumlow to catch his error after that, oh Winter, God no, I didn't mean you, I would never hurt you."

It was too late though James was already backing away down the hall, rising to his feet. "He was right, the entire time. You never cared about me, I was nothing but a means to an end."

"No Winter, no you weren't," Rollins rose to his feet. "I love you Winter, we love you."

"No you don't," James snapped, eyes blazing. "You love the idea of me. Of owning something that once belonged to Captain America. Well guess what, I'm tired of being seen as some prize to be won, I'm tired of being loved for what I bring to people or what I represent."

He started down the hall away from his former lovers, Rumlow's voice following after him. "You can't just walk away from this Winter, from us, we'll find you, we always do."

James didn't even bother looking back, "if I ever see you again I'll make you wish you could die." The door slam as he returned to his room, to Steve's room, was deafening. 

\--

Steve had been surprisingly ok with James leaving, probably since he neither Rumlow nor Rollins would be going with him, although he had insisted James wait two days, until the ward finally faded so that he wouldn't be entirely defenseless out in the wild. 

He was in the midst of packing up a few meager belongings, a set of clothes Steve had given to him, the contents of his book bag Banner had retrieved, a few thousand dollars in cash so he had finances to move around until he managed to settle somewhere and a protection charm from Clint, when there was a sharp knock on the bedroom door. "Come in," he responded, fully expecting Steve or maybe Natasha. 

What he hadn't expected was for Bobbi Morse to step though the door. In fact he had assumed he wouldn't see the hunter ever again after their last encounter. "Morse," he greeted. 

"Barnes," she responded with a short nod before moving about the room, glancing over the corners and windows and other such spaces, studying possible exits and potential weapons like any trained Hunter would. Once she was clearly satisfied with the security of the room she turned to look at James once more, "so I hear you're leaving."

"I am," he responded, continuing to busy himself with folding a shirt. 

"By yourself."

"Yep."

"I see."

James didn't have the patience for this, "Morse, why are you here."

She sighed heavily and sat down on the edge of the bed, "I came to apologize for earlier."

James head snapped up at that, "for what, you tried to warn us and then ran when it looked like a supernatural brawl was starting, no one could fault you for that, you may be a hunter but your still very much so human."

"I'm not apologizing for running, I'm apologizing because I tried to make a decision for you that I had no right to make. By warning Rollins and Rumlow I was unilaterally deciding that you were better off with them than you were with Steve. That wasn't my choice to make."

"I wouldn't beat yourself over it too much," James responded tugging his new rucksack over his shoulder, testing its weight. "Your warning didn't make much of a difference at the end of the day and besides, I'm free to go where I want now."

"Doesn't mean I shouldn't apologize, good intentioned or not, no one should be making your choices for you." 

James smiled at her, "it's nice, you saying that. It's nice to know someone is able to recognize I'm my own person capable of making my own choices."

That dragged a smile out of Bobbi, "it's good to see you being so cavalier about all this, I know we haven't known each other long but after what you went through, I can't imagine coming out of that with this sort of attitude."

James shrugged, "it helps that I'm headed out on my own now, easy to be positive when I'm finally getting what I want, what I actually need instead of what I think I need or what anyone else thinks I need." Of course if she knew what that was she might be less willing to let him continue in making his own choices. 

He paused, one more question hanging in his mind. Bobbi knew Rumlow and Rollins, had seen them as more than just Hydra goons like the others, maybe she could offer him some insight there. "Rollins and Rumlow, do you think they were just using me to get to Steve?"

"I.." She started before trailing off, collecting her thoughts as James waited patiently. "Yes, but if it's any consolation I don't think it was intentional on their part."

"It's not, but that's kind of you to say, and Steve, you think he still loves me."

"Steve Rogers will always love Bucky Barnes, but it's up to you to figure out if Bucky Barnes even exists anymore."

He didn't, James knew that, he hadn't existed for the last seventy or so years. 

\--

Goodbyes were never fun so James avoided them on principle. He couldn't avoid Steve though, despite how he tried to sneak out before dawn broke. 

"Leaving Buck," called out a voice the moment has hand touched the knob of the front door. James glanced back to see Steve standing at the kitchen counter dressed only in a pair of sleep pants. "You could have at least said goodbye."

"You know I hate goodbyes."

"Always have," Steve added as he strode forward to stand in front of James. "But I think at this point we both deserve a goodbye."

James kept his eyes locked on his friend, "well, if that's how it's going to be, goodbye."

Steve's heart broke at that, "don't go."

"I have to."

"Please."

"Stevie I can't, you know I can't."

Steve didn't know what he could do, he knew what James had planned, he knew what would happen after his friend walked out that door. "Buck, I love you."

Some small bit of emotion sparked in James eyes and he leaned forward to place a soft kiss on the vampires cheek. "I know you do Stevie, but I've got to do this."

And suddenly he was gone, that little bit of magic he pulled from the briefest of contact with the other immortal allowing him to vanish in the predawn light. 

It was the last time Steve would see James alive.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the last chapter may have freaked a few people out a bit, understandably so, so I wanted to provide some assurance that any one who has watched TVD or TW will already have. So here goes....dead doesn't always mean dead, or rather dead doesn't always stay dead. Just keep that in mind. :)

"Stiobhan, they're at least a few days behind us, we don't need to perform the spell so long as we keep moving," Seumas begged. They'd been having this argument for the last hour, since they had found a cave to spend the night in, and his Blonde friend wouldn't be moved. 

"Erskine made us promise we would go through with this, made us promise that we wouldn't let Karapov do what he did to our. Image to others. Your strong, but in order to really fight them we both need to be strong. Otherwise I'll be little more than deadweight dragging you down," the slighter boy demanded, blue eyes fierce as he stared down his friend. 

Seumas tugged on his dark, curls, slowly but surely giving in to his friends pleading. "Do you even realize what you're asking me to do, what you'll have to give up. Stiobhan, this could kill you."

Ernest blue eyes met stormy gray, "but you won't, you could never kill me, even on accident."

Seumas let out a frustrated groan, "fine, the ritual will take time though, Karapov might find us before its complete."

"That's a risk we'll just have to take then isn't it."

\--

"So now that Winter's gone what exactly are you going to do with us," Rollins was leaning back against the wall by the door, Rumlow seated at the foot of the bed, head in his hands. 

Steve stood on the other side of Clint's barrier, arms crossed over his chest, feet firmly planted. "Once Bucky has a few days lead you'll be free to go Rollins."

"And Brock," the witch asked. 

Steve flinched at the question. He had wanted to avoid this conversation until after Rollins was long gone. He didn't hate the witch the way he did Rumlow. To the contrary he actually quite liked Rollins despite his unfortunate affiliation with Hydra - which could partially be forgiven since the man had been raised by Hydra and Steve knew just how deep Hydra's brainwashing could run if they had enough time with someone- but he wasn't going to let anyone stand in the way of destroying the abomination Hydra had turned Rumlow into. "That's not your concern," he responded, careful to keep his voice neutral. 

"They're going to try to kill me Jack, that much is fairly obvious," Rumlow interjected. "I don't know why you're bothering Rogers, I can't be killed, at least not by you. Winter might be able to do it, I would think if he just decided to suck all the magic their was out of me that would work, might work on you too, but he's long gone and even if he wasn't he wouldn't help you."

Steve's voice had a sharp edge to it when he responded, "in all my centuries of life there has been only one witch I have ever known capable of the power needed to both grant immortality and turn someone into the sort of monsters you and I are. Whatever they did, whatever this witch tried, there's a loophole, something faulty that we can exploit. All we need to do is find it and watch everything that turned you into the Hybrid you are unravel."

Rumlow let out a harsh barking laugh, back shaking, head back in his hands as he continued to laugh. "You're kidding right, you don't know do you? I can't believe that all this time he never told you."

Steve's eyebrows snapped together in confusion. "Never told me what?"

"Winter is the one who made me, turned me into a hybrid long before you destroyed our packs home. Ripped the power right out of twelve werewolves and slammed it into me, nearly killed himself along with those wolves. If Jack hadn't been acting as an anchor for him he might have decimated the whole city with that level of power."

Steve couldn't believe that, Bucky wouldn't just hand immortality to someone else. Bucky knew the sort of trouble that could cause. "Liar."

"You can believe what you want Rogers, but your friend is a cold blooded murderer who had no issue killing others in order to make those he cares about stronger. You can't kill me, not without Winter's help, so do us all a favor and let me and Jack go."

Steve would let them go in the end, but only after his hand was forced.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short addition before we get into the meat of the fics climax.

So at the end of the day things hadn't gone exactly as James had planned. Being captured by Hydra, again, hadn't been something he had wanted, even less so when it was one Grant Ward and his merry band of psychos who had picked him up just outside of Philadelphia. 

Really could no one just leave him to die in peace. 

"Good to see you again Barnes," the brunette drawled from where he stood on the opposite side of the large warehouse where they'd dragged James to and tied him up. "Rumor has it Rogers had picked you back up again but it's nice to see that wasn't a permanent state for you. 

James grimaced as the ropes around him tightened fractionally but didn't respond. He'd had minimal contact with award in the past, but from what he understood, the witch had been a member of Coulson's pack before it came apparent that Hydra had infiltrated the Shield packs. Then, only a few months ago he had gone after his former pack, nearly killing Bobbi in the process, and in his brief time knowing her James had grown to like Bobbi so that was another strike against the man. 

"So sorry about all this," Ward continued on, nodding towards the half transformed werewolf to his left, and then the human with a semi automatic pointed directly at James on his right, "people tend to get a bit jumpy when I kidnap and tie the strongest witch who has ever walked the earth, they're all a bit on edge because of it."

James could only roll his eyes, Hydra always seemed to favor melodramatics. "Get to the point Ward, what do you want?"

Ward let out a deep sigh, always to the point, takes half the fun out of everything." He strode forward until he was standing a scant two feet from James, if James could get out of the ropes it wouldn't take much for him to reach forward and suck the magic right out of the other witch. "I have a proposition to make."

James craned his head back to keep his eyes in the other mans face, "even if I was ever inclined to cut a deal with you I get a distinct feeling that what you're going to request isn't something I'd agree to."

"Just hear me out now Barnes. I'm not asking much, just for you to turn me Immortal, same as you and Rogers."

"Can't be done," James shot back. "The blood ritual that made Steve and I the monsters we are today was a one time deal, it took from me the magic needed to recreate it."

"Except you did, with Rumlow."

"That was completely different," James shot back, "I literally sucked out the power from twelve other supernatural beings and slammed it into him. Without someone or something to anchor me that sort of power could wipe out a city. Even with an anchor it's entirely possible that I will kill you in the process. And on top of that it will definitely kill whatever poor souls it is you want me to pull the magic needed from."

"And if I found you an anchor and if the person you're pulling the power from is strong enough that they wouldn't necessarily be killed, what about them?"

James could only laugh, "that's an awful lot of ifs that will never happen but sure I'll humor you. If you found me an anchor, and if you managed to drag Steve or Rumlow in here to have their magic ripped from them, cause let's be realistic here, those two are the only ones who could ever survive what you're proposing, then the answer is still no. I'm not about to just hand that sort of power over to some narcissistic, psychopathic, jackass who's bound and determined to try and take over the world."

Ward reached down and pulled a slip of crinkled paper from his pocket, "even in exchange for this."

"You mean for a dusty old page from a a book of spells I probably had a hand in writing, no thanks," Bucky sassed back in return. 

"Trust me Barnes, this spell predates you by at least a few thousand years. Rumor was about a month after Rogers found you, you started hunting for a very particular spell, one that could bring back the dead. As far as I can tell, you never found it, but we did."

James eyes narrowed as he assessed the other man, and that's what you're offering in return then."

"This and the magic needed to complete the spell, so do we have a deal?"

"Yes."

\--

"Why would I ever agree to that," James snarled at Pierce from where he sat chained to the bed as usual, Rollins and Rumlow were flanking the older man, Rumlow looked like he was half way to dropping to his knees and begging for James forgiveness while Rollins couldn't even look his lover in the eye, gaze careful trained on the wall to his right. 

The last few months with Hydra had been bad. They'd been steadily asking more and more of their little trapped let witch and the toll of that was starting to show. James was thinner than he had ever been before, all sharp angles and jutting bones. There was a set of bruises around his pale neck, the shape of long fingers clearly visible, and a series of gashes and open wounds on his arms, hips, and even a sharp one over his left cheek. In the last three months here his life with Hydra was starting to resemble the torture he'd suffered when they'd first gotten a hold of him. 

Pierce was utterly unfazed by the snarling and growling immortal on the bed before him. He was human, but he'd broken most of the disobedience out of the witch and he knew he was not in any danger. "Because we are requiring it of you, and because if you don't both Rollins and Rumlow will be killed on my orders," that dragged both the vampire and the other witches attention back to the current leader of Hydra.

"You wouldn't risk losing to assets of that value," James shot back. 

"And you wouldn't risk losing two more lovers now would you," Pierce snapped in return. "I'm counting on you blinking first in this standoff boy."

"I'll need a large quantity of magic for what you have planned, and someone to anchor that power."

"You let me worry about that."


End file.
